Soil Organic Carbon (SOC)

AUS-AKW-FOR-SOC General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

0.5 %

Thresholds: Lower: 0.5, Upper: —

Direction: Higher is desirable ↑

Form: LowerThreshold

Scoring Curve

This curve shows how a field measurement for this indicator would score across all available benchmark forms in this context. The scoring engine uses 13 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 12 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

OptimalRange Primary Point Guard Point Guard LowerThreshold Guard OptimalRange Guard Point Guard MinimumOnly Guard LowerThreshold Guard MaximumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard Point Guard LowerThreshold Guard OptimalRange Guard

Evidence & Context

A lower critical threshold, below which soil health and ecosystem services are likely to be significantly compromised, is inferred to be approximately 0.5% SOC.

Metric Definition:

Soil Organic Carbon concentration below which soil health and ecosystem services are impaired

Benchmark Definition:

Critical lower threshold of Soil Organic Carbon concentration indicating impaired soil function in production forestry within the Arid Karstic Woodlands & Shrublands biome.

Justification:

Inferred from general principles of soil health and data from other degraded Australian systems indicating significant SOC loss leads to functional impairment.

Sources (1)

Preview of (PDF) Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands: A critical review of ...

(PDF) Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands: A critical review of ... Journal

Environmental drivers of soil organic carbon in the Australian rangelands - ResearchGate, accessed July 28, 2025,

Supporting Sources (15)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of (PDF) Environmental drivers of soil organic carbon in the Australian ..., accessed July 25, 2025,

(PDF) Environmental drivers of soil organic carbon in the Australian ..., accessed July 25, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

(PDF) Environmental drivers of soil organic carbon in the Australian ..., accessed July 25, 2025,

Preview of Al-Beidh, S., & Al-Tawaha, A. R. M. (2023). Basic Properties and Mineralogy of Soils and Their Impact on the Growth of Jarrah Forest in Southwestern Australia. Land, 12(6), 1236.

Al-Beidh, S., & Al-Tawaha, A. R. M. (2023). Basic Properties and Mineralogy of Soils and Their Impact on the Growth of Jarrah Forest in Southwestern Australia. Land, 12(6), 1236.

Contextual Support Journal

Soil Characteristics and Fertility of the Unique Jarrah Forest of Southwestern Australia, with Particular Consideration of Plant Nutrition and Land Rehabilitation - MDPI, accessed July 19, 2025,

Preview of Change in Organic Carbon in Forest Plantation Soils in Eastern Australia - ResearchGate, accessed July 25, 2025,

Change in Organic Carbon in Forest Plantation Soils in Eastern Australia - ResearchGate, accessed July 25, 2025,

Direct Evidence Journal

Tamm Review: Influence of forest management activities on soil organic carbon stocks: A knowledge synthesis - ResearchGate, accessed August 28, 2025,

Preview of Improved Native Forest Management in Multiple-use Public Native Forests Method Proposal - NSW Government, accessed July 25, 2025,

Improved Native Forest Management in Multiple-use Public Native Forests Method Proposal - NSW Government, accessed July 25, 2025,

Contextual Support

Improved Native Forest Management in Multiple-use Public Native Forests Method Proposal - NSW Government, accessed July 25, 2025,

Preview of Influence of forest management activities on soil organic carbon stocks_ A knowledge synthesis - Agritrop

Influence of forest management activities on soil organic carbon stocks_ A knowledge synthesis - Agritrop

Direct Evidence Journal

Influence of forest management activities on soil organic carbon stocks_ A knowledge synthesis - Agritrop, accessed August 28, 2025,

Preview of Interesting reading - Healthy Forests Foundation, accessed July 25, 2025,

Interesting reading - Healthy Forests Foundation, accessed July 25, 2025,

Contextual Support

Interesting reading - Healthy Forests Foundation, accessed July 25, 2025,

Preview of Long-term land use change in Australia from native forest decreases ..., accessed July 25, 2025,

Long-term land use change in Australia from native forest decreases ..., accessed July 25, 2025,

Contextual Support

Long-term land use change in Australia from native forest decreases ..., accessed July 25, 2025,

$Preview of Mapping soil organic carbon fractions for Australia, their stocks, and uncertainty - BG, accessed July 25, 2025,$

Mapping soil organic carbon fractions for Australia, their stocks, and uncertainty - BG, accessed July 25, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Mapping soil organic carbon fractions for Australia, their stocks, and uncertainty - BG, accessed July 25, 2025,

Preview of Nullarbor bioregion - DCCEEW, accessed July 27, 2025

Nullarbor bioregion - DCCEEW, accessed July 27, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

(PDF) Soil potassium—crop response calibration relationships and ..., accessed July 24, 2025

Preview of Recent advances in studies of soil organic carbon stability in Karst areas - Frontiers, accessed July 25, 2025,

Recent advances in studies of soil organic carbon stability in Karst areas - Frontiers, accessed July 25, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Recent advances in studies of soil organic carbon stability in Karst areas - Frontiers, accessed July 25, 2025,

Preview of Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands a critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - CSIRO Publishing, accessed August 5, 2025,

Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands a critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - CSIRO Publishing, accessed August 5, 2025,

Direct Evidence

Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands a critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - CSIRO Publishing, accessed May 13, 2025,

Preview of Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands: A critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - ResearchGate, accessed August 5, 2025,

Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands: A critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - ResearchGate, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

final repport - Department of Primary Industries, Queensland, accessed July 17, 2025,

Preview of Soils and carbon for reduced emissions - Agriculture Victoria, accessed July 6, 2025,

Soils and carbon for reduced emissions - Agriculture Victoria, accessed July 6, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Soils and carbon for reduced emissions - Agriculture Victoria, accessed July 21, 2025,

Preview of Timber Harvesting in Mountainous Regions: A Comprehensive Review - MDPI, accessed July 24, 2025,

Timber Harvesting in Mountainous Regions: A Comprehensive Review - MDPI, accessed July 24, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Use selective harvesting instead of clearcutting - Conservation Evidence

Preview of Timber Harvesting in Mountainous Regions: A Comprehensive Review - MDPI, accessed July 25, 2025,

Timber Harvesting in Mountainous Regions: A Comprehensive Review - MDPI, accessed July 25, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Conservation Agriculture and Soil Organic Carbon: Principles, Processes, Practices and Policy Options - MDPI, accessed July 25, 2025,

Context

Region Australia
Biome Arid Karstic Woodlands & Shrublands
Land Use Production Forestry
Assessment Pristine Reference
Evidence Type DegradationThreshold

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 19 Mar 2026

Notes

Below this level, essential soil functions are likely compromised, jeopardizing long-term productivity and ecological resilience.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-AKW-FOR-SOC family.